Article graphics by Omar Zahran (@omarzahran.bsky.social on Bluesky)
When the Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges in the summer of 2024, it was with a clear goal in mind: take a step closer to winning a championship. That summer was eventually followed by the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns, and the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Bridges was brought in as a 3-and-D wing to pair with OG Anunoby, a pairing that many fans salivated over in the wake of the deal. The idea was that he would take a more supporting role like when he was in Phoenix—allowing him to be more impactful on the defensive end and to feast off of corner threes.
In his first season in New York, the results were mixed in a regular season that had many ups and downs with reports suggesting that there was friction between Bridges and former head coach Tom Thibodeau. The irony is that in the playoffs, Bridges had two game-sealing defensive moments against Boston that helped the Knicks advance past the defending champions.
Heading into this season with a new head coach, there have been questions about Bridges. Was there another level for him to unlock with this Knicks team, or would he be relegated as a nice-to-have fourth option? Offensively we’ve seen him improve his three point efficiency and be more aggressive at the rim. But it has been his defense that has stood out, and Knicks are getting the player they coveted enough to pay a king’s ransom of draft capital for.
